Conservative Patriot: CHUCK KOLB

Shabbat Shalom - Parasha Vayeshev - Favor, Inheritance and a Grand Destiny !!!

חנוכה שמח Chanukah Sameach!
Jews around the world celebrate the eight-day holiday of Chanukah. We celebrate the miraculous triumph of the Maccabees, but really, we remember that whatever the odds, the righteous fight is the one worth fighting for, worth dying for, no matter the odds. So pray – for our people, our nation. And pray Yeshua echad gives our righteousness, the strength and wisdom to prevail as the forces of evil surround us and work furiously to subsume free will. Miracles do happen.

Hanukkah – the Oil of Joy for the Poor in Spirit
https://free.messianicbible.com/holiday/chanukah-oil-joy-poor-spirit/

Erev Chanukah 25 Kislev, 5783 - Sunday, December 18, 2022 sunset
Kindle One Chanukah Light tonight

Previously posted ...
Shabbat Shalom - Parasha Vayishlach - Overcoming Anger and Reconciling !!!
https://conpats.blogspot.com/2022/12/shabbat-shalom-parasha-vayishlach.html
New World Coming - 12/10/22
https://conpats.blogspot.com/2022/12/sermon_10.html
Situation WW3 Updates 12/11/22 Dr James Thorp - Fall Cabal - Human Meat Project - Treasons Greetings
https://conpats.blogspot.com/2022/12/chuck-kolb-situation-updates_12.html
Situation WW3 Updates 12/13/22 Gold Backs Currency - First Lady Christmas - God vs Drag Queens
https://conpats.blogspot.com/2022/12/chuck-kolb-situation-updates_13.html
Situation WW3 Updates 12/14/22 FL Fines Vaxxers - Dystopia Rising Artificial Womb Facility Matrix
https://conpats.blogspot.com/2022/12/chuck-kolb-situation-updates_14.html
Situation WW3 Updates 12/15/22 Scare Event - Catastrophic Contagion - Wuhan Whistleblower
https://conpats.blogspot.com/2022/12/chuck-kol-situation-updates.html

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world
ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Luke 12:37
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Eph 5:11
I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. I will never forget thy precepts:
for with them thou hast quickened me. Psalm 119:60,93
The war against Truth has been raging ever since
evil was expulsed from the realm of Heaven.
God instructed Pharaoh, "Let my people go."
God instructs us, "Let my people know."
Shema Y'israel - Maranatha !
Na'aseh V'nishma

כבוד שם יהוה Baruch Hashem Adonai
לשבור לחם ביחד Shabbat Shalom Mishpacha
#ShabbatShalom - Welcome to Vayeshev (And He Lived), this week’s Torah portion.
We are certain that you will be blessed as you go through this portion that will be read in
synagogues around the world during this week’s Shabbat (Saturday) service. Enjoy!

In last week’s Torah study, Vayishlach, Jacob returned from Haran with his entire household to settle in the Land of Canaan. After all the twists and turns of Jacob’s life, he longed to settle down in the land God had promised. The opening Hebrew Scripture of this Parasha uses the word yeshev, which means to settle. In Israel, a settlement is called a yishuv, and those who settle in Israel, especially within the disputed territories of Judea and Samaria, do so at great risk from Palestinian terrorists who often live nearby.

In Parasha Vayeshev, we learn about the trials of Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph, whom God had given the gift of dreams and their interpretation. Many of those dreams revealed Joseph’s future exalted position. By relating these dreams to his brothers, however, Joseph fueled their jealousy, which had already been aroused by their father’s favoritism toward Joseph, son of his favored wife, Rachel.

You can view this Parasha on our website complete with embedded links ...
Vayeshev – Jacob, Joseph and the Folly of Favoritism
https://free.messianicbible.com/parasha/vayeshev-jacob-joseph-and-the-folly-of-favoritism-5783/

King David’s Shield, the Israeli Flag, and the Origins of the Star of David
https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/discover-meaning-king-davids-shield-israeli-flag-origins-star-david/

Bible Prophecy Fulfilled: The Coming of the Messiah‏
https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/bible-prophecy-fulfilled-the-coming-of-the-messiah/

God Wants to Set You Free! Find Out How
https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/god-wants-set-free-find/
No One Else Brings Salvation but Yeshua
https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/one-else-brings-salvation-yeshua/
Are You a Jew? The Answer Might Surprise You
https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/are-you-a-jew-fname-the-answer-might-surprise-you/

Revelation and Na'aseh V'nishma
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/11880
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/do-first-understand-later/
We will do and we will listen to all that God has declared. Exodus 24:7

When to Celebrate Yeshua HaMashiach's birthday ...
The Joy of Tabernacles when Yeshua was Born
http://conpats.blogspot.com/2019/10/chuck-kolb-10142019.html
How Yeshua was born on the Feast of Tabernacles by Rabbi Yitzchak
http://www.calledoutbelievers.org/how-yeshua-was-born-on-the-feast-of-tabernacles/

English to Hebrew to English lookup
https://context.reverso.net/translation/hebrew-english/
https://www.doitinhebrew.com/Translate/default.aspx
https://english-hebrew-dictionary.com/
https://alittlehebrew.com/transliterate/
https://yiddishkeit101.wordpress.com/category/hebrew-word-of-the-day
The Best Jewish Words You Need To Know: A Yiddish and Hebrew Glossary
https://www.joyofkosher.com/from-jamie/the-best-jewish-words-you-need-to-know/
https://www.brighthubeducation.com/studying-a-language/58611-yiddish-expressions-for-the-holidays/
https://hebrew4christians.com/Glossary/glossary.html
A Living Library of Jewish Texts in Hebrew and English translation
https://www.sefaria.org/   https://dictionary.co.il/   https://www.hebrew-verbs.co.il/
https://www.mechon-mamre.org/

Torah Teasers Parshat Vayeshev by Moshe Erlbaum
https://www.aish.com/tp/i/teasers/The-Kutonet.html

Todah Rabah - beloved Rabbi Ralph Messer ...
Simchat Torah Beit Midrash - Joy of God’s Teaching and Instruction
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

What Does It Mean to Choose Life? Every decision you make can be made in a way that you are “choosing life.”
The Torah is God’s constitution; it is His teaching and instruction; it is eternal and it is life.
His Spirit is pure Light, abundant with untouchable, supreme, sovereign power.
God is the Source of all life.

וַיֵּשֶׁב Vayeishev means “and he settled.”
Vayeishev begins the famous Joseph story, a story that continues until the end of the Book of Genesis. Even though it seemed that Joseph would spend the rest of his life in prison, alone, and away from his family, things eventually changed. He gained favor with Pharaoh and soon rose to be viceroy of Egypt—the most powerful empire at that time. Because of it, he was able to save his family from a severe famine. In the end, all that seemed bad was turned around for the good. From Prison to the Palace - Joseph’s perspective was his key. He could have given up, he could have sulked in loneliness, he could have believed the very worst, he could have let anger overtake him. But he didn’t. He understood that God is always in control of everything.
https://stbm.org/vayeishev/

חנוכה Chanukah
When the Maccabees were faced with darkness, they did not resign themselves to it. And neither should we. The Chanukah candles serve as a reminder that darkness can be won by light. So go ahead, light a candle and let your soul shine bright for the rest of the year by helping others who are in need, being patient and kind, living with joy, reaching out to others to encourage and strengthen them, helping the poor, visiting the sick, and standing up for what is morally and ethically right in your family, your business or occupation, and your community.
https://stbm.org/chanukah/

Arrive an hour+ early for starting lessons ...
Online> Saturday Shabbat (9:00am ET / 12:30pm ET) Services and Midrash
Online> Monday Nights with STBM 8:30pm ET / Thursday Afternoon> 3:00 pm ET
Learn more about special event streaming when you call our team! 866-867-2488
> https://stbm.org/live/ - https://www.youtube.com/c/RalphMesser/videos
https://stbm.org/study-home/  https://stbm.org/rrm-subscriptions/  https://store2.torah.tv/

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Todah Rabah - Dr. Gary Hedrick ...
Reaching the Jewish people with the Gospel
https://www.cjfm.org/about-us/who-we-are/history/
Charles Halff - What It Costs a Jew to Become a Christian
https://store.cjfm.org/product/146/what-it-costs-a-jew-to-become-a-christian

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Todah Rabah - beloved Rabbi Chaim Richman ...
Weekly Torah Study: with Rav Gedalia Meyer
Temple Talk with Yitzchak Reuven and Rabbi Abba Horovitz
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheTempleInstitute/videos
> https://www.facebook.com/The-Temple-Institute-22738684968/
https://www.instagram.com/thetempleinstitute/ - https://twitter.com/TempleInstitute
https://www.templeinstitute.org/ Weekly Newsletter - 36 years
The Mystery of the Red Heifer: Divine Promise of Purity
https://templeinstitute.org/red-heifer/
Jerusalem Lights - Rabbi Chaim Richman
> https://www.youtube.com/c/JerusalemLightsRabbiChaimRichman/videos

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Todah Rabah - beloved Rabbi Chaim Jachter ...
Kol Torah Academy of Bergen County
Parashat VaYeishev - Kislev 23, 5783 - December 17, 2022
> https://www.koltorah.org/articles/?category=VaYeishev
> https://www.koltorah.org/s/Kol-Torah-VaYeishev-2022.pdf (4 page pdf)
Chanukah > https://www.koltorah.org/articles/?category=Chanukah
https://www.koltorah.org/by-parashah  https://www.koltorah.org/parashah
https://www.koltorah.org/rav-jachters-halachah-files
Yeshiva > https://www.tabc.org/  https://www.instagram.com/koltorah.tabc/
https://www.koltorah.org/about-us > https://www.koltorah.org/books
Rabbi Jachter on JM in the AM with Nachum Segal talking about his book
mp3> Bridging Traditions: Demystifying Differences Between Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews! (23:59)
> https://nachumsegal.com/nachum-and-rabbi-haim-jachter-explore-bridging-traditions-on-jm-in-the-am/
Does the Torah Reject Democracy? > Rabbi Chaim Jachter
https://www.koltorah.org/halachah/does-the-torah-reject-democracy-by-rabbi-chaim-jachter

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Parshat Vayeshev
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/3202/jewish/Vayeshev-in-a-Nutshell.htm
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/default.asp?tDate=12/17/2022
https://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/month_cdo/jewish/Jewish-Calendar.htm
https://www.chabad.org/calendar/converter_cdo/aid/6225/jewish/Jewish-Hebrew-Date-Converter.htm

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Todah Rabah - beloved Rabbi Naphtali “Tuly” Weisz ...
https://israel365.com/  https://www.israel365news.com/
https://www.israel365.com/about/  https://theisraelbible.com/
https://theisraelbible.com/bible/torah/  https://theisraelbible.com/blog/
https://theisraelbible.com/bible/genesis/

The Secret of Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors
https://theisraelbible.com/the-secret-of-josephs-coat-of-many-colors/

The 39 Acts Forbidden on the Sabbath
https://theisraelbible.com/the-39-acts-forbidden-on-the-sabbath/
https://theisraelbible.com/the-true-day-of-rest/

Anti-Semitism is on the rise in the United States.
Stand with 100,000+ people who stand with Israel.
https://www.israel365.com/the-israel-covenant/

ACLJ Petition - Jay Sekulow
Stop Biden IRS From Spying on You and Your Bank Account
https://aclj.org/government-corruption/stop-biden-irs-from-spying-on-your-bank-account

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DONALD DATES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Trump
Frederick Christ Trump (Drumpf) 10/11/1905
Mary Anne Trump nיe MacLeod 5/10/1912
Donald, Jr. 12/31/77 <<<
Jared Kushner 1/10/81
Eric 1/6/84

Events > https://www.donaldjtrump.com/events
Watch > https://rumble.com/c/RSBN RSBN
> https://rumble.com/c/DonaldTrump Donald J. Trump

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Good News From Israel - Achievements and Heartwarming Stories
In the 11th Dec 22 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
https://verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com/2022/12/israels-good-news-newsletter-to-11th.html
http://verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com/

Mishpacha Jewish Family Weekly
https://mishpacha.com/

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Todah Rabah - beloved Ted Belman writing from Jerusalem, Israel for 21+ years ...
THERE IS NO DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION
https://www.israpundit.org/
Israel should declare three nos; no to nuclear Iran, no to two-state solution,
no to bi-national state

What the ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ Really Respects
https://www.israpundit.org/what-the-respect-for-marriage-act-really-respects/

The Church planted the seeds of the Holocaust
by Ted Belman 12/26/14
https://www.israpundit.org/the-holocaust-was-caused-by-the-church-not-just-hitler/
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2022/12/what_the_respect_for_marriage_act_really_respects.html

Amnesty, Crack and Other RINO Senate Sellouts
https://www.israpundit.org/amnesty-crack-and-other-rino-senate-sellouts/
https://www.danielgreenfield.org/2022/12/amnesty-crack-and-other-rino-senate.html

Israel and Indonesia? Expanding Abraham Accords to Asia
Can Israel and Indonesia normalize diplomatic relations? It would be an Asian game-changer.
https://www.israpundit.org/israel-and-indonesia-expanding-abraham-accords-to-asia-opinion/
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-725010

Trump Leads DeSantis By 22 Points: WSJ Poll Was Rigged
https://www.dickmorris.com/trump-leads-desantis-by-22-points-wsj-poll-was-rigged-lunch-alert/
https://www.israpundit.org/trump-leads-desantis-by-22-points-wsj-poll-was-rigged/

Israel’s Deep State clings to its power.
T. Belman > Ben Gvir: The Attorney General’s job to is to advise, she cannot give me orders
https://www.israpundit.org/israels-deep-state-clings-to-its-power/

The Two State Solution is no more
>> https://www.israpundit.org/63684392-2/
The Jordan Option Conference Videos reposted
>> https://www.israpundit.org/the-jordan-option-conference-videos/
https://www.israpundit.org/jordan-past-present-and-future-the-jordan-option-revisited/
>> The Jordan Option, plain and simple
https://www.israpundit.org/the-jordan-option-plain-and-simple/
>> The Jordanian Option is the only game in town
https://www.israpundit.org/my-jordan-option-is-the-only-game-in-town/
>> The Ultimate Alternate Israel-Palestine Solution by Ted Belman
https://www.israpundit.org/the-ultimate-alternate-israel-palestine-solution-3/

Kindly donate to support the work I do
by Ted Belman
https://www.israpundit.org/please-donate/

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Quest For The Lost Tribes - Full Simcha Jacobovici Documentary
vid> https://www.bitchute.com/video/jbB2ELq4xPw/ (1:33:29) 8/18/19
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simcha_Jacobovici
12 Tribes of Israel: The Shevatim
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3798842/jewish/12-Tribes-of-Israel-The-Shevatim.htm
https://www.jewishvoice.org/read/blog/who-are-tribes-judah

Welcome to Kashrut Malchut Shamayim
חנוכה שמח Chanukah Sameach!

In this week’s Parsha Vayeishev,
we read the remarkable tale of Joseph who ascends from the depths of the pit from which his brothers had originally sentenced him to death to reemerge in Egypt as a master of the house of the wealthy and powerful Potiphar. Joseph enjoys peace and comfort for only a short time – he is callously sent down into the prison of Egypt’s Pharaoh for resisting the urges of Potiphar’s wife. Sometimes from the “pits” or depths great things emerge, so too our Shabbat menu. Bursting with olives, figs, pomegranate and other “pitted” fruit we celebrate a spectacular Shabbat menu with you!
https://jamiegeller.com/holidays/a-pitted-fruit-shabbat-menu/

Fry me up a Hanukkah
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmE1J8mJuUA/

Pulled Brisket & BBQ Stuffed Latkes
https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/pulled-brisket-bbq-sauce/

Classic Sufganiyot Jelly Filled Doughnuts
https://youtu.be/Jensm_SUOdE (1:20) JG
https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/classic-sufganiyot-jelly-filled-doughnuts/

Carrot Cake Doughnuts
> https://youtu.be/Cv0jo0HTU6w (1:19) JG
https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/carrot-cake-doughnuts/

Hanukkah Appetizers and Starters
https://jamiegeller.com/holidays/hanukkah-appetizers-and-starters/

Traditional Hanukkah Foods Modernized
https://jamiegeller.com/holidays/classic-chanukah-recipes-with-a-modern-twist/

Cooking Churros for Hanukkah with Shannon Sarna & Jamie Geller
facevid> https://www.facebook.com/TheNosher/videos/510981237667270/ (5:47)

Best Potato Latke Recipe EVER! As Seen on the Today Show
vid> https://youtu.be/sNfhf8OWP68 (4:36) JG classic
https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/latkes-potato-pancakes/
Sheet Pan Sweet Potato Latkes with Eggs and Greens
https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/sheet-pan-sweet-potato-latkes-with-eggs-and-greens/

Caramel Applesauce with Cumin
https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/caramel-applesauce-with-cumin/

Own a $1 Million Jerusalem Home While Supporting Israeli Charities!
Raffle drawing will be held on January 1, 2023
https://unitedwithisrael.thedreamraffle.com/cyber-monday-2022-triple-tickets/?a=jok_112822_cm

Vegan Recipes
https://jamiegeller.com/search?query=vegan+recipes
https://jamiegeller.com/browse/the-best-crowd-pleasing-vegan-appetizers/
Cook the 21 Most Popular Recipes of 2021
https://jamiegeller.com/from-jamie/cook-the-21-most-popular-recipes-of-2021/

This is Where You Can Find Me Most of the Time
JewLish - One People - Many Flavors
https://www.facebook.com/jewlishbyjamie/
https://www.instagram.com/jewlishbyjamie/
https://www.instagram.com/jamiegeller/
https://www.facebook.com/jamiegeller
https://www.youtube.com/c/jamiegeller/videos
https://jamiegeller.com/

Support Our Farmers - Shmitah Mitzvah
http://supportourfarmers.org
https://tinyurl.com/Farmers-Guide-for-Produce (7 page pdf)

Joy of Aliyah
http://jamiegeller.com/tag/joy-of-aliyah/
https://jamiegeller.com/tag/joyofisrael/
Jamie Geller Welcome's You
vid> https://youtu.be/XO-owES713c (0:35) JG

The answer is, it's made with love from Israel !
https://jamiegeller.com/from-jamie/my-jewish-food-memories/
My Love Affair With Jerusalem
https://jamiegeller.com/from-jamie/my-love-affair-with-jerusalem/

Until next week, Happy Hanukkah and Shabbat Shalom!
Lots of  Jamie

Jamie's Honey Collection
https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/779DC156-2368-4FA4-A098-872BBC7F03D2

Jerusalem Street Food with Jamie Geller Spices
vid> https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/CluuvDpk-FSMnt4zj.html (10:56) JewLish
Machane Yehuda - https://jamiegeller.com/browse/a-haute-market-in-jerusalem-the-shuk/
https://jamiegeller.com/browse/4-israeli-desserts-inspired-by-the-shuk-in-jerusalem/

The Jamie Geller Spice Collection: Now Available Worldwide!
Sending you love and my heartfelt wishes for peace, from Israel.
New Trio of Pilaf Mixes - Mujadara Lentil, Festive Herb and Jeweled Almond
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jamie+Geller/page/55E36343-CF6F-4E88-A4D5-D7C1C0274F7F
https://www.amazon.com/shop/jamiegeller

Babies, Books, and a Billion Views: My Decade in Review
https://jamiegeller.com/from-jamie/a-decade-in-review/

Best of the Best w Hubby - Family Heirloom Cholent ...
vid> https://youtu.be/Ae2-lQVFsGw (12:01) 8/11/11 JG classic
https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/family-heirloom-chulent/
https://jamiegeller.com/blogs/cholent/

Jamie at Aish - Chief Media & Marketing Officer
https://www.aish.com/authors/48868432.html
How You Can Make the Future Brighter
vid> https://youtu.be/fclstyB-1rA (2:48) Aish
https://www.youtube.com/c/Aishdotcom/videos

Free Hebrew course Aleph Bet
This entire four-lesson course in 30 minutes.
https://academy.aish.com/course/aleph-bet

The Influence of the Hebrew Bible on America's Founding Fathers
vid> https://youtu.be/jE6Sqh-kezw (7:15) J-TV
> https://www.aish.com/jl/h/h/The-Influence-of-the-Hebrew-Bible-on-Americas-Founding.html
Serpents of Desire: Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden. An Introduction
> https://www.aish.com/jl/b/eb/ge/48966101.html

Jamie Hanala Geller
https://jamiegeller.com/author/jamie-geller/
Tamar Genger MA, RD
https://jamiegeller.com/author/tgenger/
Titles by Jamie Geller
https://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Geller/e/B001JS2GV8/
https://jamiegeller.com/blogs/

8 Global Fried Food Recipes For Hanukkah - free eBook
https://app.monstercampaigns.com/c/mmdy1llmaw5sab00hkuu/
Download the Sweeter Than Honey - free eBook
> https://engage.aish.com/sweeter-than-honey-ebook/
The Ultimate Challah - free eBook
> https://koshernetwork.ac-page.com/pinterest-challah
Modern Israeli Kebobs - free eBook
> https://koshernetwork.acemlnc.com/lt.php?=s=a476321cee1a62660d5e43a07fe84c19&i=109A824A1A5341
Join My Way Better Cooking Class with Jamie Geller
https://get.waybetter.com/jamiegeller/
Jamie's Quick & Easy Shabbat Menu App
https://jamiegeller.com/from-jamie/exclusive-jamie-gellers-menu-plans/
https://www.prepear.com/jamiegeller/cookbooks/quick-and-easy-shabbat-menus/
Fresh Families Healthy Meal Plan
https://www.prepear.com/jamiegeller/meal-plans/fresh-families-healthy-meal-plan/
LIVE Series: FEED YOUR SOUL
https://jamiegeller.com/from-jamie/feed-your-soul/

Jacob lived [yeshev] in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. Genesis 37:1

Shabbat Shalom - Parasha Vayeshev - Favor, Inheritance and a Grand Destiny !!!

Shabbat Shalom,
during this Hanukkah Holiday Season!

Welcome to Vayeshev (And He Lived), this week’s Torah portion.

We are certain that you will be blessed as you go through this portion that will be read in synagogues around the world during this week’s Shabbat (Saturday) service. Enjoy!

VAYESHEV (And He Lived)

Genesis 37:1–40:23; Amos 2:6–3:8; Romans 8:18–39

“Jacob lived [yeshev] in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.” (Genesis 37:1)

In last week’s Torah study, Vayishlach, Jacob returned from Haran with his entire household to settle in the Land of Canaan. After all the twists and turns of Jacob’s life, he longed to settle down in the land God had promised.

The opening Hebrew Scripture of this Parasha uses the word yeshev, which means to settle.

In Israel, a settlement is called a yishuv, and those who settle in Israel, especially within the disputed territories of Judea and Samaria, do so at great risk from Palestinian terrorists who often live nearby.

In this Parasha, we learn about the trials of Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph, whom God had given the gift of dreams and their interpretation. Many of those dreams revealed Joseph’s future exalted position.

By relating these dreams to his brothers, however, Joseph fueled their jealousy, which had already been aroused by their father’s favoritism toward Joseph, son of his favored wife, Rachel.

Joseph's Sheaves (1919 Bible Primer)

The Folly of Favoritism

“Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.” (Genesis 37:3)

Jacob made no secret of the fact that he loved Joseph more than any of his other children, and he gave him a special coat of many colors.

By giving him this coat, Jacob was proclaiming Joseph’s sovereignty and leadership over all his other sons, since in the patriarchal age, Semitic chiefs wore coats of many colors as an insignia of rulership.

Perhaps Jacob should have foreseen the negative effects of sibling rivalry that usually result from such favoritism, since he was also a victim of this kind of dysfunction.

His mother, Rebecca, favored Jacob but his father, Isaac, favored Jacob's brother Esau. This caused a great deal of animosity between the two brothers. Rather than learn from his parents' mistakes, however, Jacob simply perpetuated their parental weaknesses.

Instead of following Jacob's example, we can make a choice to learn from our parents’ mistakes and decide today not to carry on with unhealthy parent-child relationships that have been modeled for us by previous generations.

Of course, to make such a change requires us to be set free from the past, and that begins with repentance and forgiveness—repentance for judging our parents (and perhaps for being a troublesome child), and forgiving them for their mistakes.

Everlasting spiritual new beginnings are found in the freedom that Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) offers when we repent of our sins and receive His forgiveness.

Family gathers together on Erev Shabbat for a special meal.

Favor Follows Joseph into the Pit

The name Yosef (Joseph) is associated with the modern kabbalistic (Jewish mysticism) term yesod, meaning foundation, from the expression, “Tzadik yesod olam”—a righteous man is the foundation of the world.

Indeed, Joseph had a great destiny upon his life, the twists and turns of which would provide a foundation for the survival of his family; and in the fullness of time, a freedom that provides a foundation for Jewish life and salvation.

Jacob’s favored son is so important that he is allotted more text in the Tanakh (Old Testament) than any other character except Moses.

But he was not immediately ready to fulfill his divine purpose. Either Joseph needed to learn humility, which he gained through painful and difficult trials, or through his trials, God positioned him to fulfill that destiny. Perhaps both.

The drama began when Jacob dispatched Joseph on a mission to check on his brothers. Unbeknownst to both of them, the jealous siblings had already plotted to kill Joseph.

Their plan might have succeeded except for the protests of Reuven, who urged them to throw Joseph into a pit instead. He secretly intended to rescue him later. But Reuven never had the opportunity to save his brother, since the other brothers sold Joseph, at Judah’s suggestion, to an Ishmaelite caravan.

“They sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites.” (Genesis 37:28)

This Butterfield mosaic of Joseph being sold is displayed in the Keble
College Chapel at Oxford.

Once in Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, an Egyptian captain of Pharaoh’s guard, who soon discovered the greatness within Joseph. Potiphar came to trust Joseph so implicitly that he placed him in charge of all of his affairs.

Meanwhile, Joseph’s brothers returned to their father with his coat of many colors. They dipped it in blood to deceive their father into thinking that a wild animal had killed his beloved son.

It was Judah, fourth son of Jacob and future ruler of the twelve tribes of Israel, who led the decision to sell Joseph rather than kill him.

“Then Judah said to his brothers, ‘What do we gain by killing our brother and covering up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let us not do away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh." (Genesis 37:26–27)

Judah seems to be a complex character, with signs of integrity as well as duplicity.

Jacob Receiving the Bloody Tunic of Joseph, by Jan Lievens

Keeping Hope Alive through Inheritance

There is a curious interruption in the narrative of Joseph’s story, as the Scriptures turn to the episode of Judah.

At this point, Judah had married the daughter of a Canaanite, Shua:

“There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and cohabited with her.” (Genesis 38:2)

Shua conceived and had a son named Er, who married Tamar. But Er died without giving Tamar a child because the Lord was displeased with this son of Judah and prematurely took his life.

Judah then urged his second-born son, Onan, to take Tamar as a wife. It was the duty of the brother of a man who died without children to marry his widow in order to perpetuate his brother's line.

“Then Judah said to Onan, ‘Join with your brother's wife and do your duty by her as a brother-in-law, and provide offspring for your brother.’” (Genesis 38:8)

This kind of familial responsibility may seem alien to us, but God later included it in the laws found in the Book of Deuteronomy:

“When brothers live together, and one of them dies childless, the wife of the deceased man shall not marry outside to a strange man; her brother-in-law shall come to her, and take her to himself as a wife, and perform levirate marriage.

“The firstborn son whom she bears will then perpetuate the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be obliterated from Israel.” (Deuteronomy 25:5–6)